The Wild Beast Table and Comet Light by James Rigler
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Earlier this year, The New Craftsmen invited five of its makers on a residency to the historic Holkham Hall on the north Norfolk coast to explore and creatively respond to the rich narratives of history, culture and aesthetic style embedded in the estate. Over several days, the makers were inspired by Holkham’s cast of characters and experts, both past and present; its decorative upstairs; pared-back downstairs; the outhouses; surrounding 25,000 acres; its values and progressive outlook, and were commissioned by The New Craftsmen to interpret it through the medium of craft.
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This week we take a closer look at the work of ceramicist, James Rigler, who has produced two incredible pieces inspired by his time at Holkham Hall - the Wild Beast Table and the Comet Wall Light.
James’s bold and vibrant ceramic sculptures are inspired by the language of architectural ornament. Although he describes his work as being “led by thoughts of ruined places, romantic landscapes and stage sets”, his recent work has increasingly embraced ideas of function and domesticity. These objects have an emphatic, epic presence, but also a sense of familiarity and humour; cut adrift from their original contexts, they take on new meanings. James studied at the University of Brighton and the Royal College of Art but honed his craft working in the architectural ceramic industry as a model-maker and mould-maker. His practice continues to be rooted in a strong sense of skill, technical knowledge and a dialogue with material.
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At Holkham Hall, James found a place full of unexpected contradictions and hidden narratives: “it’s a Roman palace, adrift in time by a couple of millennia, inspired by architectural drawings and theoretical handbooks that were already hundreds of years old. It’s populated by classical statues - a mixture of authentic roman figures, far older than the house they inhabit; heavily repaired statues and plaster copies; and ‘new’ neo-classical interpretations that are now also antiques. All of them heavily influenced by Greek art that was older still.” James saw these ancient statues as time-travellers, voyaging across continents and centuries, bearing the scars of their (mis)adventures. They are both the hunters - Diana reaching for her arrows, taking aim at the plasterwork eagles - and the hunted. “Their ancient sport binds them to the animalistic gilt furniture, all feathers and leonine paws, suggesting a wild chase that happens just out of our sight.”
James has drawn on “this fantastical reading of the house to produce new ceramic works that conjure some of Holkham’s magic into our own domestic spaces”. Using a mixture of semi-industrial ceramic techniques, he has created a table and wall light inspired by his residency at Holkham. Both objects are characterised by their monumentality and their playful, stylised texture - carved ‘fur’ on the base of the Wild Beast Table, and ‘flames’ on the Comet Light - which he roughly ‘sketched’ in clay, before taking a plaster mould once happy with the feel and scale. Casting into this mould created an exact plaster copy of the original clay texture, allowing him to smooth away imperfections and achieve something closer to carved marble. After firing, the objects have been entirely gilded in gold-leaf and lacquered.
“Clay is an ancient material and these techniques have been used for hundreds of years, but there is still a moment of wonder when a piece is first released from the mould or a kiln door is opened. These magical moments are what brings me back to clay again and again.”
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Explore the exceptional new works from James below or book an appointment to view the pieces at our Mayfair showroom.